Stephanie Sy

1. You are lucky your Mom and Dad taught you about money early in life.
2. If you really want something, don't accept NO for an answer.
3. Your learn best through experience. You learn best doing things hands-on. Seeing and hearing are your next best way to learn. Then, reading.
4. Second place doesn't win.
5. Don't be afraid to succeed. People around you are actually happy to see that you're doing well. Don't worry about the crab-mentality. Not everyone thinks that way.

fou one fou

fou two eight

fou three twelve

fou fou sixteen

fou five twenty

and so on...

PS: My dad's English sounds like Chinese/British-ish. My English sounds like... erm  strange, uniquely Steph. Hahaha!

• Tenancy Agreement for your new home in the UK -- When I came here last year, I stayed at my friend's place temporarily. His family let me stay in one of the rooms in their flat. I contribute to rent but the contract of the flat is with him and the agency. So, ... didn't have this.
• Electricity Bill, Gas Bill, Water Bill, Council Tax -- I pay rent all inclusive so again, so ... didn't have this either
• National driving licence -- I just came here so ... didn't have this either
• Proof of your previous or permanent address in the country you came from -- Hmm.. I just came here so ... didn't have this either
• A letter from your previous bank or your agreement that they may contact them  -- ... didn't have this either
• A letter from your employer in the UK confirming your address, salary, etc. -- Doesn't really work for most banks

Oh... And have I mentioned that most companies needs your bank account number so they can transfer salary directly to your account?!

The pre-requisites of opening a bank account have other pre-requisites that a non-resident who just came to the UK doesn't have. Sounds a bit like a deadlock situation!

I eventually was able to open a bank account as I was lucky to have received a letter from the home office that was delivered to my home address. I was able to use it with my employer's confirmation over the phone that I work with them. I'm with HSBC.

After a year, armed with my passport and bank statement, I tried to open an account with another bank to take advantage of the higher savings interest rate. They ran their credit checks on me and told me that I can't because I don't qualify.  My credit rating is not good enough. I checked with Experian (credit rating company) and my details seem to be accurate and I pay my bills on time so I wondered what they problem was. Even Experian couldn't really help... Experian and some friends speculated that it could be any of the following:

• I didn't stay in the UK long enough therefore not enough credit history. -- Doesn't paying the credit card bills on time count?
• The source of my credit history is only from the credit cards -- hmm... so I don't qualify?
• I'm not in the electoral votes -- Seriously?? I'm not even a citizen.

I know they have these things in place for security. But it's just too complicated and there's no one who really understands for sure why or how. It would have been better if there's a system that can actually identify what's wrong with a person's credit rating and provide steps on how it can be improved.

I miss Shanghai. In Shanghai, you just go to the bank, show your passport and open an account.

But out of all these, at least I have one that I can use.  I just can't take advantage of the higher interest rates from other banks.

I was reviewing for my Prince2 exam when I suddenly thought of how my parents purchased our first home. I was in the chapter where the author was talking about the start up process. In the start up process, you have a project mandate and first 2 appointed key people - project executive and project manager.

My parents didn't come from a well-off family. When they got married, they were still sort of in the same position. Hehe. They wanted to provide their kids a good future. Their first vision for the family was to buy a house where we could live in. So in case the business doesn't turn out to be that good, we will still have a place to stay. They realized this dream after 10 years of being married. It is one of the family's biggest accomplishments.

(Side note: We only lived their for 1 summer the whole time we owned it as my parents needed to stay in my uncle's factory compound to manage the operations side of things. Talk about 24 hour stand-by work! Besides, my parents were already used to living right next to the factory. Commuting looked like a monumental tasks for my dad. Haha ^^)

Relating my parents experience to Prince2, the project mandate was to purchase a property. The 2 key people were my mom and dad. If they didn't have this goal in mind, it would have probably taken them longer to get one.

Reflecting on this thought, I think in everything in life, we need to have a direction where we want to go. So even if we're sidetracked along the way (scope creep!!!), we still know where we're heading to and can make appropriate decisions along the way.

• "You haven't changed a bit. You dress the same as when you were in university." I think this is not a complement.
• "You look 18 or 20." a friend from basketball told me. So I asked what made you think so because she was surprised when she found out my age... Then she said it's because of my expressions and body gesture (the peace sign)
• "You are crazy." This is for the wacky unexpected things that I do. I think this is neutral.

Personally, I think I think maturely. I just don't act like people my age. People my age are more formal or demure with the way they wear clothes or talk. That is just not me. What I am is more of a sunny blubbly homey and active type of person who you can tell things like it is.

But sometimes I wonder, should I change and be like them? Placed in a box and labeled as ------ to fit into what they call ++++++.

I love being me. But most of the time, the world expects us to be something else; to be boxed into what they see as normal and what they understand....

• Winning is achievable but constant practice and trying your best in each practice.
• Winning is not only about talent but also about other factors that makes the person.

1. Have played basketball
2. Travelled to Louborough with V
3. Travelled to Nottingham with V and Mila
4. Travelled to York with V
5. Travelled to Bath with V
6. Read the book and watched the movie Pride and Prejudice
   1. Because I was intrigued after all the information I learned from the Bath tour
7. Have travelled with train
   1. I take this to and fro office everyday.
8. Have travelled with the tube
9. Have travelled in a double decker bus
10. Have travelled in a long bus
11. Have travelled by coach
12. Had travelled with a car
    1. I know, I know... Riding a car?! You have to give me this... I'm a foreigner in one of the most expensive places in the world...
13. Had watched a movie in the Warner Studios' London office -- movie: Speed Racer
    1. Speed Racer was great especially when I saw the Korean singer - Rain!!
14. Had watched Sex and the City in Orange Wednesday with Tracy
    1. To Orange mobile subscribers they get buy 1 get 1 free movie tickets when they get a code from Orange
15. Had watched Indiana Jones in Orange Wednesday with Tracy
    1. Don't ask me about the move... Overall it was ok but the ending was disappointing...
16. Have shopped in PriMark
17. Have gone to church - Hillsong
18. Met some nice new friends in the office and in church
19. Had fish and chips
20. Brought a friend around London
21. Have taken up hip hop aerobics
    1. Getting better a little but still suck in memoring 30sec dance steps
22. Goes to Chinatown weekly to get food supplies
23. Have cooked Radish cake (cantonese snack)
    1. I used the wrong flour. I didn't look like how it should but at least the flavor was similar. I'll try to make one again; next time with the right flour.
24. Have cooked green bean soup (chinese dessert)
25. Burned food in a wok
    1. I left the wok over a fire to continue cooking the food. I didn't know meat here was not so fatty.
26. Working on 2 projects with Shanghai
    1. Excited to work on projects with Shanghai again!
27. Working on 1 project with India
    1. It's almost complete now; 2 phases left. It was a good experience. I've learned quite a lot from the people I worked with on this project.

Hmm... 25 things in 4 months... It wasn't that bad. Though recently I'm just staying at home recharging myself for the work the following week. The past 4 weeks were very busy times.

Things I look forward to doing:

1. Get a Schengen visa so I can travel to France and taste authentic French food
2. Buy a cheap return ticket to my hometown for Christmas (wishful thinking)
3. Discover good restaurants around where I live
4. Post some more pictures of places and food of course on this blog